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Phoenix- For the entire month of March 2015, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)/Arizona State Parks (ASP) is coordinating activities throughout the state for the 33rd annual celebration of Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month (AAHAM).
These events will focus on current efforts to preserve our past by protecting our fragile and non-renewable cultural resources. AAHAM combines education with entertainment to reach both adults and children in an effort to teach responsible stewardship of our cultural resources. Museums, historical societies, tribes, agencies, parks and archaeology organizations will be hosting events across the state; events are also planned in Arizona State Parks as part of their interpretive programs.
Proclaimed by the Governor each year, this celebration will feature prehistoric and historic site tours, exhibits, hikes, open houses, lectures, demonstrations and other activities throughout Arizona. A free statewide listing of these events and activities is now available by contacting the ASP offices at (602) 542-4174 or by visiting the ASP website at http://AZStateParks.com/archy (see the list for your region below). To view the more detailed list of events visit http://AZStateParks.com/archy.
The featured event for the month is the ARIZONA ARCHAEOLOGY EXPO (Expo). This year’s Expo will offer many educational attractions for archaeology and history buffs, and will be located at Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park, on Saturday, March 7, 2015, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Expo is open to the public and is FREE. Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area is hosting the event.
The Expo will provide a special opportunity for visitors to learn more about why it is important to preserve archaeological sites and historic places, what archaeologists, historians, and tribal members do in their jobs, and about the prehistory and history of Arizona. The Expo will feature archaeology-related hands-on activities, craft demonstrations, and other fun and educational events. In addition, Boy Scout and Girl Scout merit badge requirements can be fulfilled at the Expo! Special displays and booths by archaeological and historical organizations, museums, Native American tribes, state and federal agencies, and others will allow you to participate as an archaeologist might in their research today, or make crafts and tools that teach how prehistoric Native Americans and other early inhabitants survived in the Southwest. Cultural and historical demonstrators, talks by archaeologists, and interactive activities will help make the past come alive! In addition, tours of local archaeological sites (rock art and pueblos) will be offered.
The Expo will provide a special opportunity for visitors to learn more about why it is important to preserve archaeological sites and historic places, what archaeologists, historians, and tribal members do in their jobs, and about the prehistory and history of Arizona. The Expo will feature archaeology-related hands-on activities, craft demonstrations, and other fun and educational events including special displays and booths by archaeological and historical organizations, and museums, Native American tribes, state and federal agencies, and others will allow you to participate as an archaeologist might in their research today, or make crafts and tools that teach how prehistoric Native Americans and other early inhabitants survived in the Southwest. Cultural and historical demonstrators, talks by archaeologists, and interactive activities will help make the past come alive! In addition, tours of local archaeological sites (rock art and pueblos) will be offered.
The Expo will give visitors new insights into Arizona’s many prehistoric, historic, and contemporary cultures, and will help instill a sense of stewardship for our state’s fragile and nonrenewable heritage resources.
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